


Savouring Mystery

by BayleyWinchester



Series: '... Mystery' Series [2]
Category: Be More Chill - Iconis/Tracz, Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Apocalypse, At the start of Adoring Mystery is when this takes place, M/M, Pre Loving Mystery, it's their stories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2019-03-11 19:24:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13530969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BayleyWinchester/pseuds/BayleyWinchester
Summary: The world didn't wake up. They did.((OR: The story of Connor/Evan/Zoe/Jared and Jeremy/Micheal/Chloe/Christine/Brooke at the start of the apocalypse))





	1. DEH

**Author's Note:**

> So, these are the stories of Connor and Jeremy's groups before they meet Veronica and the others. It's going to be four chapters, two chapters for both groups. 
> 
> If the chapter is titled DEH it is Connor/Evan/Zoe/Jared and if it is titled BMC it is Jeremy/Micheal/Chloe/Christine/Brooke's chapter.

Connor and Evan didn’t notice the silence. They had been working late the night before at Evan’s house, adding the final touches to a new video for the Connor Project and had fallen asleep in the early morning, cuddled up together with their limbs all over the place and Evan’s head on Connor’s chest. 

It was Connor’s phone that woke them, the shrill noise rang and rang until Connor grumbled and reached over to answer it. Zoe was crying and screaming, waking him up quick, he shook Evan awake as he listened to his sister. 

“Zoe.” He shouted. “What the hell?” 

“Everyone is dead, Connor!” 

“What the hell? Zoe have you been smoking?” 

She held back a sob and took a deep breath and then started rambling, the words coming out fast and jumbled. “I woke up and went into mum and dad’s room ‘cause they weren’t answering me, and then they didn’t wake up no matter how much I yelled or shook them and the didn’t have a pulse so I called 911 and no one answered.” She took another deep breath, “I went next door to see if they could help but nobody came to the door so I tried calling people and no one picked up until you.” She let out a sob after she finished. “They’re all dead.” 

“Okay, Zoe, we’re on our way now. Try and calm down.” He and Evan jumped out of bed, fully awake now, they got changed quickly. 

Evan finished first and went to his mum’s room to see her, Zoe’s news had scared him, and for good reason. His mother was lying on the bed as if she was sleeping but just like Connor’s parents she wouldn’t wake up. Evan was shouting at her when Connor found him, he had his hands on her shoulders as was shaking her up and down while yelling. “Mum! Wake up!” Connor grabbed his boyfriend’s shoulders and pulled him off her. 

“Hey,” he muttered in Evan’s ear, “come on. It’s okay.” 

Breaking down, Evan clung to Connor. He buried his face in Connor’s shirt and let himself sob. His mother had been the only person who cared for him for most of his life and now she was gone. He sobbed when he thought of that, his mother gone. 

A few moments later Connor dragged him out of her room, “come on, Evan. Let’s get to Zoe and figure this all out.” 

Connor drove them to his house, Evan had stopped crying but was still hiccuping and occasionally his breathing would hitch. It took them about ten minutes to get to his house, there was no one on the streets so Connor ran every red light and speed the entire way to his house. 

Zoe was standing on the porch outside, her eyes were still red and she hadn’t gotten changed out of the oversized shirt and shorts. Her face lit up when she saw Connor’s car and she ran down to meet them when they got out of the car. 

She threw her arms around Connor’s neck. He looked startled. Their relationship, while getting better, was still awkward and uneasy. He, however, hugged her back. She was the first to break apart and pulled Evan in for a quick hug as well. The look on his face made it obvious that his mum hadn’t woken up either. 

“Connor, I-what’s going on?” She asked. 

“I don’t know. No one was out when we drove over.” He replied. 

She nodded quickly, “no one’s posted anything online since last night. The last post on all of my accounts was around eleven thirty. No new news articles or anything. It’s like everyone’s dropped dead.” 

“Why don’t we trying calling someone out of state?”

They agreed that would be the next step and went into the living room together. Each one called all the contacts on their phones; Zoe had a lot more. They tried from their landline as well, using the phone book their parents had kept around to call random numbers. Nothing. 

After roughly an hour of calling they finally got something. Jared had been the first person Evan had called, and texted, but he hadn’t replied. Evan’s phone lit up with Jared’s name a stupid selfie he had taken on Evan’s phone. 

“Jared!” Evan shouted when he answered the phone. 

“I know you’re happy I called and all but can you not make me deaf?” He asked sarcastically.

“Sorry, but, you’re alive!” 

There was a pause on the other end, “yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You don’t know?” 

“Know what?” Jared asked. Evan then spent a few minutes explaining everything that had happened that morning, from Zoe’s call to them calling everyone they could but getting no response. Jared sat quietly, which was unlike him, until Evan was finished. He whistled lowly, “that’s a lot.”

Evan nodded, even though Jared couldn’t see that, and then said, “come to Connor’s house. We’re here.” 

“You, Connor and Zoe?” 

“Yeah.”

This time Jared nodded to himself. While Evan was talking he had checked on his own parents and found them in bed, dead, as well. “This is insane but okay. I’ll be there soon.” He hung up the phone and left his house to go to Connor’s.

While Jared drove Connor and Zoe continued to try and call people. Leaving voicemails and texts begging them to get back to them. Evan had started going to different news sites on the computer, trying to find anything that related to their problem. There wasn’t anything on people randomly dying. 

Jared arrived about twenty minutes with four red slushies in hand. When asked why he had bought them he shrugged and said ‘why not?’. He then joined them in calling people or checking social media. 

Evan gave up on the computer and went to sit beside Jared on the sofa. “I’m glad you’re okay.” 

“Really?” Jared said slowly, raising an eyebrow at Evan, “we haven’t spoken in a while, have we?”

“I know, I was a douche and you didn’t deserve it.” Evan admitted quietly. “It wasn’t a good way of handling everything. All my fault and I’m truly sorry.” 

Jared looked away from his friend. “After you got popular with the whole Connor Project I was left alone. I thought it was a good thing, what you were doing with the awareness don’t get me wrong, but I still- I didn’t have any-” he paused, wincing slightly as if he didn’t want to admit something, “I got really pissed. You just ditched me and went off with Connor.”

“I’m so sorry, Jared. I didn’t mean to. I just did.”

Sighing slightly Jared shook his head as if he was clearing it. “Doesn’t matter now.”

“It does.” Evan arugured. “Especially now, we’re alone.” 

“You’ve still got Connor.”

“You were my friend a long time before Connor, Jared, and I am sorry and I want to fix it. Fix us.” 

“You can’t fix everything Evan.”

He didn’t know how to reply to that. 

When all their drinks had gone Jared called an old family friend from New Jersey. Expecting to hear the automatic answering machine or a pre-recorded voice it gave him a fright when he got a loud voice answering in his ear, “Jared!” 

“That’s the second time someone has yelled my name at me.” He muttered to himself but then answered, “hey Jeremy. You’re alive to, huh?” 

“Yeah, I am. So are you. Guys, someone else is awake.” Jared listened to the movement on the other side and then put his own phone on speaker and called the others over. “Jared? I’m so glad you’re alive. Man, we woke up and no one else was awake.”

“Glad you’re alive as well, it’s like that here. Only four of us here.”

Jeremy let out a sigh of relief, “there’s five of us as well. I can’t get a hold of anyone else. What is going on?” 

“No idea.” Jared admitted, “absolutely no idea.” 

“Can you fill us in?” A girl complained on Jeremy’s end. 

“An old family friend, Jared, just called me. He and three others are awake as well.” Jeremy summarised. “They live in Texas and he said it’s the same over there as well.”

There was a beat of silence before another girl spoke, “so we meet up right? I’m Christine, by the way.” 

“Why would we meet up?” The same girl from before asked, her tone bitter. 

“Better together, more numbers means more safety and all that.” Christine said. 

Connor thought about it, he and Evan shared a look before Evan nodded and Connor spoke, “that sounds like a good idea. Oh, and I’m Connor.” 

“So, road trip?” Jared suggested. “Nashville, Tennessee is about halfway. Should we aim to meet there?”

Jeremy and his friends seemed to discuss this before Christine answered, “yup. Jeremy will text you an address to be at as soon as, and all our numbers as well. Try and keep your phones charged.”

They said their goodbyes and sat quietly for a moment until Connor spoke, breaking the silence. “I guess we should pack for a road trip.”


	2. BMC

It was the screaming that woke Chloe. Groaning when the light hit her eyes she sat up in confusion. Jeremy and Brooke were lent over someone, she couldn’t make out who, and were shouting. They were all in her bedroom, after the party last night it wasn’t a surprise they had passed out before going home; it had gotten intense.

“What the fuck?” She said loudly. The two of them looked over at her, breathing a sigh of relief when they saw her. When they moved she could see the body under them, Rich was lying there as if he was sleeping. “What the fuck?” She asked again, still half asleep.

“He’s dead!” Brooke shouted, tears in her eyes. “He’s fucking dead, Chloe.”

Chloe woke up fully when she registered what Brooke had said, “what do you mean?”

“We woke up and I thought, you know, they’re asleep and all.” Jeremy explained. “Then Brooke woke up and accidently stood on Rich but he didn’t even move. We tried to wake him up ‘cause we got worried. He just won’t wake up.”

“Okay, call the police.” Chloe said.

Brooke shook her head, “we did. No one answered.”

“No one answered-” she paused looking at them skeptically, “your 911 call?” 

They nodded. Chloe nodded, not believing her friends, “riiiight. That makes total sense.”

“Chlo, we’re not fucking with you.” Brooke said, “I swear.” 

Chloe was about to answer when Jeremy’s phone rang. “Michael?” Jeremy said in surprise before answering the phone. The girls looked at each other in confusion as well, Jeremy had all but abandoned his old friend when he became friends with them. The only reason they knew him was from Rich used to fuck with them before Jeremy became popular. 

“Jeremy?” Michael asked. “Please tell me you’re alive.” 

“Uh, yeah?” 

Scoffing, Michael replied. “No one else is. Dude, have you not looked outside or something?” 

“Uh, no?” 

“My parents are fucking dead, no one is online or answering any of my messages. It’s like everyone-”

Jeremy interrupted him, “wait, your parents are dead?”

The girls went pale and both scrambled for their phones, instantly calling their parents as well. 

“Yeah. Well, I think. They’re just not waking up.” 

“That’s what happened to Rich!” 

“It’s what happened to everyone.” 

Chloe and Brooke were both on their phones now, typing furiously. “My parents didn’t reply.” Brooke said, “I’m trying to text them.” 

“Same.” 

“Michael, maybe you should come over.” 

There was a pause, “where?”

“Chloe’s house.” 

“I don’t know where she lives.” 

“Um, okay. Why don’t we meet at my house then.” 

Michael agreed to be at his house in twenty minutes and Jeremy told the girls his plan, neither wanted to be alone so they decided to come as well. Brooke and Chloe got changed into some of Chloe’s clothes and Jeremy freshened himself up as well. 

Walking out of her house was like walking through a nightmare. People had apparently passed out last night in her house as the floor and furniture was littered with people. Knowing they were all dead bodies made the mood darken even more. They were careful not to step on any of them but they did go through the house calling out names, trying to see if people would wake up.

No one did.

They took Jeremy’s car to his house, Michael’s car was already in the driveway but he was nowhere to be seen, Jeremy guess he had let himself in the house. He parked the car and led the girls inside, Michael was in the house, he was sitting on the staircase.

“I’m so sorry.” Was what he said when he saw the trio walk in. “I went to check on your dad.” 

In honesty, Jeremy had placed the issue of his dad out of his head, focusing on others. It didn’t make sense, his dad was always just there. Sure, Jeremy didn’t always like it but he always was. He had just assumed he would arrive to his dad, not wearing pants, in the living room. 

It didn’t make any sense. 

Both boys looked close to tears. Michael jumped up as Jeremy strood forward. They meet in the middle and wrapped their arms around each other. All their emotions poured as out as they hugged, the confusion and sadness from today but also the pent up feeling that had been caused by Jeremy becoming popular. The girls didn’t say anything about the hug like they would have before today. Everyone’s emotions were running high. 

Once they were all in the basement they started talking. “No one’s answered any of my messages.” Brooke said, “but there were a few parties so they might she be sleeping.” She didn’t sound very convinced that was the case.

“Same, but I’ve been messaging people across, well, the world. Friend’s from online and all that.”

“No one had posted on Twitter or Facebook since last night.” Chloe inputted. 

Jeremy looked up from his phone. “There is no news on it. Whatever ‘it’ is.” He paused, frowning as he scrolled. “There’s no news at all, actually. Not since last night.” The others joined in looking at news sources, all across the world, there was nothing. 

“It’s like everyone dropped dead suddenly.” Brooke muttered. 

“I think that’s what happened.” Michael said. “It makes no sense but what else would it be?”

Chloe gasped, “Christine updated her snapchat!” Brooke grabbed her phone and dialled Christine’s number. 

“Hello?” Christine answered. 

“Oh thank god! You’re alive.” Brooke said. “We didn’t know if anyone else was.”

Christine sighed, “I thought I was alone.” 

“No, there’s four of us. Jeremy, Michael, Chloe and me. We’re all at Jeremy’s house, why don’t you come over as well?” 

She agreed, got at the address and arrived ten minutes later. After greeting everyone they sat in the basement again, just trying to find out if anyone else was still alive. 

They were all frowning now, not knowing how to feel or what to do. Jeremy was about to speak, he was going to ask if they wanted to food, when his phone rang. It was an old family friend that he hadn’t talked to in years. He answered the phone and almost yelled, “Jared!” 

It sounded like he muttered, “that’s the second time someone has yelled my name at me.” but Jeremy couldn't be sure and then Jared spoke again, “hey Jeremy. You’re alive to, huh?” 

“Yeah, I am. So are you. Guys, someone else is awake.” Jeremy moved to put his phone on speaker phone so the others could listen in, he heard Jared doing the same himself. “Jared? I’m so glad you’re alive. Man, we woke up and no one else was awake.”

“Glad you’re alive as well, it’s like that here. Only four of us here.”

Jeremy let out a sigh of relief, “there’s five of us as well. I can’t get a hold of anyone else. What is going on?” 

“No idea.” Jared admitted, “absolutely no idea.” 

“Can you fill us in?” Chloe complained. 

“An old family friend, Jared, just called me. He and three others are awake as well.” Jeremy summarised. “They live in Texas and he said it’s the same over there as well.”

There was a beat of silence, no one knew what to say next, and then Christine spoke, “so we meet up right? I’m Christine, by the way.” 

“Why would we meet up?” Chloe asked, her tone bitter. 

“Better together, more numbers means more safety and all that.” Christine said. 

Connor spoke, “that sounds like a good idea. Oh, and I’m Connor.” 

“So, road trip?” Jared suggested. “Nashville, Tennessee is about halfway. Should we aim to meet there?”

Jeremy looked at his friends, “it is halfway.” He muttered. 

“Should we meet up with people?” Brooke asked. “We don’t know them.”

“It’s either meet up with them and be with them or just the five of us.” Michael replied, “and I’d rather there were nine of us instead of five.”

Christine answered Jared, “yup. Jeremy will text you an address to be at as soon as, and all our numbers as well. Try and keep your phones charged.”

They said their goodbyes and sat quietly for a moment until Jeremy spoke, breaking the silence. “I guess we should pack for a road trip.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now we know how the BMC kids handled the end of the world! 
> 
> The next two chapters are the kids trying to get to Nashville, to meet up and become the mega team! 
> 
> Once the next two chapters are up Loving Mystery will be started.


	3. Note to self; never, ever, let Jared drive a car when there are no other cars on the road

Note to self; never, ever, let Jared drive a car when there are no other cars on the road. 

Evan was gripping Connor’s hand as Jared speed down the empty streets. There were a few cars along the road, each with a body or two sitting in the seats but Jared was going so fast down the road they ended up in a blur. Connor squeezed Evan’s hand as Jared went round a sharp corner. 

Their plan was to get to the supermarket and stock up on food, Zoe had mentioned that food is going to go off and become hard to find, so they wanted to get some before they left for Nashville. Jared had asked to drive, even though they were taking Connor’s car, and they had said yes. 

Well, they weren’t saying yes again. 

Jared was going way above the speed limit and had no regard for any laws. A red light? He didn’t care. One way street? No one else was there. 

Finally, they got to the supermarket, Jared had taken a detour because he was having fun, Jared parked in the ‘no parking’ zone where trucks normal parked. Evan felt like he was going to be sick when he stepped out of the car and Zoe didn’t look much better. 

The automatic doors slid open and they walked in. Evan tried to recall if he had seen a supermarket so empty but couldn’t think of a time. It was almost scary. The large flurolencet lights swung slightly and their shoes squeaked and echoed through the empty building. With no one else there Evan couldn’t help but compare it to an opening scene in a horror movie. 

Zoe got a cart and, with a grin to the boys, took off down the first aisle, halfway down she lifted her feet off the ground and continued down laughing loudly. Jared got his own cart and chased after Zoe. Connor got a cart and smirked at Evan.

“I know that look.” Evan said with his eyebrows knitted, “what are you doing?” 

“Get in the cart.”

“What? No.”

“Why not? There’s no one here to tell us no, hop in.” Connor reached out his hand but Evan refused to take it. “Oh come on, Evan, it’ll be fun and all cutesy.” 

Evan frowned at him, “Connor.”

“Yes?” He faked innocent. “What?” He put a little pout on his lips and looked down at Evan, he knew his boyfriend wouldn’t say no to him now.

Evan groaned but took Connor’s hand and stepped up into the cart. Connor lent down and kissed him on the nose and forehead before walking down the aisle. 

They got some food, Connor stole some more kisses and got some more food. Zoe and Jared each had a decent amount of food in their carts and Connor had gotten some into the cart around Evan. They had been smart about it, mainly getting food that wouldn’t go off for a while and was easy to make. 

Connor had just pushed Evan over to Jared and Zoe who were now eating ice creams and sitting against the wall. Zoe threw two ice creams at Evan who passed one to Connor. He got out of the cart, to Connor’s dislike, and sat in front of the other two, Connor came and sat behind him. 

“So, we heading to Nashville now?” Jared asked.

“Guess so, and you’re not driving,” Connor replied. 

“I’ll get us there fast.” 

Connor was about to reply when Jared’s phone beeped, Jeremy had sent over the address they wanted to meet at. “The Parthenon?” Connor repeated, “isn’t that in Athens?” 

“Yeah, but there is a replica in Nashville,” Jared said. “And they want to meet there, makes sense I guess, it’s a big building and heavily signed posted once you get to Nashville. Not very hard to get to.” 

“You know your way around,” Zoe commented. 

“He used to go there every summer,” Evan replied before Jared could. “For a week or two.” 

Jared nodded, staring at Evan, “yeah. Family tradition.” 

After Jared spoke the lights across the supermarket went out. The group was plunged into pitch black darkness, no one could see a thing. Without the lights, there was no light coming in, no windows or doors or anything. 

Evan gripped onto Connor’s hands, holding them tightly. Zoe shrieked in terror and Jared let out a yelp. They were forced to wait a few moments to let their eyes adjust but with no light coming in them still couldn’t see anything. 

“Alright, get a cart and use that to find your way to the exit, it’s on my left,” Connor said, faking being more confident that he felt. 

Standing up Evan and Connor didn’t let go of each other. Evan wasn’t necessarily afraid of the dark, he just didn’t want to be stuck in a very dark and rather large building with no one but his boyfriend beside him. 

“It’s fine,” Connor muttered as they made their way to the automatic doors. They got there and suddenly a light flashed on them, Zoe had turned her phone’s torch on. 

“Problem,” Zoe said.

“What?” 

“The electricity is out, so the door doesn’t work.” 

Evan went pale. “So we’re stuck in here?” Before anyone else could say anything he replied to himself, “no, there’s got to be another door here somewhere.” 

The four of them nodded and Jared reached into his cart, he pulled out four flashlights and some batteries. “Better to use this than waste our battery.” He gestured to Zoe’s phone and then handed out the packets. When the first flashlight, Evan’s, was on Zoe was able to turn her phone off. 

Connor spoke, “shall we split up and-”

“This isn’t Scooby Doo.” Jared interrupted. “We stay together.”

Evan and Zoe nodded, agreeing with Jared. Connor sighed but agreed and they started pushing their carts around the supermarket trying to find another exit. Jared snagged a chocolate bar and ate that as he walked. 

“I thought there would be one,” Zoe commented after the couldn’t find an exit. “Why isn’t there one?” 

“Wouldn’t there be one in the back, where the trucks come in?” Evan asked. 

“That would make sense,” Connor replied, so they changed course and headed to the back. In there they were able to find an exit, it was a huge rolling door that took all four of them to push up. It was supposed to be on electricity but there was a fail-safe lever that unlocked the door. 

Once the door was up high enough they could fit through with the carts, which was hard work the door was very heavy, they got through onto the other side. 

The sun had started to set while they were in there and the sky was a beautiful array of light blues and pastel pinks. A few stars were already out and the moon was coming up from behind a building. 

It was beautiful but it made everyone shiver as well, it was silent. Not a single noise was being made apart from the wind in the trees that lined the sidewalk. Usually, there would be something, a car or chatter or even a bird but know there was nothing. 

The four of them, along with their carts walked back around the supermarket to get to their car. Once all the food was in the trunk, Connor had grabbed a whole heap of the reusable bags they sold to put the food in, they sat in the car, Connor in the driver seat with Evan riding shotgun, and stared at the sky. 

“Are we going to drive at night?” Zoe asked.

“I don’t see why not.” Connor replied, “no one else will be on the roads.”

“We could take shifts throughout the night and we’ll be there by morning.” 

“All in favor?” Connor asked.

They all nodded and Connor started the car, ready to drive to Nashville. He had been on plenty of trips, with his family and with Evan, but as he drove out of their town and turned onto the highway it felt different. Maybe it was the empty roads or the way he could (and did) break the laws. Or maybe it was because he knew he no longer had a home to go back to.

He looked in the mirror and saw his sister, someone who had always been there for him even when he was a piece of crap to her, and Jared, someone he didn’t know all that well but still liked him enough, then he looked at Evan who had his eyes closed and his mouth slightly parted and he fell even more in love with him. 

Maybe he didn’t have a home to return to but hopefully, he was driving towards a new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter left here and then onto Loving Mystery with our favorite kids from Ohio!


	4. BMC

Everyone could feel the tension. Michael would look at Jeremy and then look away as quickly as he could, Jeremy would look at Michael with longing before turning away. 

The group had gone to Brooke’s house and then split up to go to their own houses to pack some bags with their stuff. Chloe, Brooke, Jeremy and Michael had finished and they were waiting for Christine to return. 

Brooke and Chloe were sitting away from the others and whispering to each other while looking at Michael and Jeremy, “they need to get together and just talk it out or something.” Chloe whispered. 

“Why do you care?” Brooke asked. 

“We’re about to sit in a car with them for god knows how long. It’s so awkward.” 

“So it’s not because you care about them?” 

Chloe looked sideways at her friend, “no, I care about me.” 

“What do we do then?” 

“Lock them in a room and not let them out until they’ve sorted it out?”

Nodding, Brooke replied, “let’s do it.” 

They made their plan quickly, each girl had a specific job to do to get them into a room. They nodded at each other and stood up, each going to a different boy. 

Jeremy was sitting near the front door, a packed bag by his feet, Chloe walked over to him, “hey, can you help me for a moment?”

He nodded and stood up, “what’s up?” 

“There’s a bag in Brooke’s room that I can’t reach, could you get it for me?” 

“Yeah, that’s fine.” 

She smiled at him, “thanks.” He nodded again and walked towards the stairs, Chloe turned to Brooke and flashed her thumbs up with a smile, the sign the plan was working. 

Michael was sitting on the sofa with his headphones in, so he didn’t notice Jeremy leaving, he was staring at the wall and tapping his fingers against his thigh. Brooke walked over to him and stood in front of him. 

“Oh, Brooke, what’s up?” He asked when he saw her, taking off his headphones. 

“I was wondering if you could give me a hand.”

“Can’t you ask Jeremy?” 

Brooke scoffed as if the idea was stupid, “there’s a bag I need in my room and I can’t get it. Can you try?” 

“Sure.” He stood and Brooke directed him to her room. 

The girls followed behind closely and the moment he walked into her room the slammed the door shut and held it with all their strength. 

Michael and Jeremy looked at each, “uh,” Michael muttered, “I’m here for a bag.”

“Same. But there’s no bag.”

“I think we were set up.” 

Jeremy nodded. “Yeah.” 

It was so awkward. Neither spoke for a few moments, instead they looked around the room and tried not to look at the other. You could cut the tension with a butter knife. 

Finally, it was Jeremy that spoke, “I’m really sorry Michael. I haven’t been a good friend and-”

“A good friend? You haven’t even been a friend.” Michael interrupted. 

He flinched but replied, “I’m sorry.” He took a deep breath, “I don’t know what to say or do, but I am sorry.” 

“Why? Why did you do it?” Michael asked, his voice breaking, “why was I not enough?” 

“I-” he was lost for words, “I wanted to know what it was like to not be a loser anymore. I was just so sick of being the victim I-”

“You wanted to be the one who picks on the victims.”

“No, never.” 

Michael rolled his eyes and looked around the room, his eyes settled on Brooke’s desk where there was a photo of her, Chloe, Jenna, Rich, Jake and Jeremy. “Maybe not, but you wanted to be friends with the people who were.”

Jeremy followed his eyes and looked at the picture. “I just want to be happy. More than survive school.” 

“Are you happy?” Michael asked, his voice held concern but his eyes shone with anger. “I thought I made you happy, do they?”

“No.” Jeremy admitted, “not really.” 

Silence encased the room again, the tension had been reduced with Jeremy’s confession but Michael still felt betrayed and angry. “Well, I guess you’ll have to make do. Since there is only a few of us left.” 

“I missed you.” Jeremy muttered. 

“Doesn’t change what you did.” 

“Wish it did.”

“Same.” 

“Then can it?”

Michael looked over at his friend, “no. Not really.”

~~

Half an hour later the five of them were sat in Brooke’ car and were heading out of New Jersey. It was easy going, there was no traffic in any direction and any car that was on the road had pulled over to the side before stopping. Brooke was driving with Chloe sitting shotgun. Christine was sat behind Brooke and Jeremy was in the middle, Michael on his side. 

Chloe was playing music through her phone, changing every song halfway through for a new one. Every time she did Michael would grit his teeth, it was a major pet peeve of his. Jeremy had just texted Jared telling them to meet at the Parthenon in Nashville, his idea, and had then told Brooke where to go. 

It was about a thirteen hour drive so they planned to drive all night, swapping drivers when they got tired. Their plan worked and they were only ten minutes away when everything went to crap. 

Everyone was awake at the time, even though it wasn’t even 6:30 in the morning. Christine was driving with Jeremy shotgun, they were talking about random stuff neither really cared about anymore, the play they were both in but (obviously) wasn’t going to go ahead, where they had always wanted to go in America and things like that.

Brooke and Chloe were playing Rock, Paper, Scissors, Brooke was winning, and Michael had his headphones on. 

They had just turned onto Lafayette street in Nashville, the Parthenon within their sights when the car stopped. 

The three in the back looked at Christine in confusion, she just shrugged. They all got out of the car, looking around the empty streets. They were alone and that scared them. They were all so used to having people surrounding them their entire lives wherever they went and then suddenly there was no one. Before everything happened they probably would have said that it would be cool to be alone, but now, they would give anything for other people to be around them.

It felt like a video game Michael and Jeremy would play. 

No one could figure out why the car had stopped or how to get it fixed so they made the decision, reluctantly, to walk the rest of the way. Each had at least a backpack and duffle bag, which they now had to carry the rest of the way. 

They were only a few minutes away from the Parthenon when Michael caught up to Jeremy and said, “I missed you as well.”

“I wish that changed what I did.” Jeremy said, his mind flashing to the conversation they had in Brooke’s room. 

“Yeah, same.”

They were nearly there, four figures could been seen sitting on top of a car, two on the roof and two on the hood. Michael couldn’t help but imagine they were playing a game, back in Jeremy’s basement, before he became friends with the populars. 

The kids on the car spotted them and started waving but didn’t leave the car. Chloe looked up from her phone, “someone just updated their twitter.”

“What do you mean?” Brooke asked. 

“Under a trending tag, there’s a tweet with a phone number from Veronica Sawyer. We’ll have to call them.”

“The more the merrier.” Christine smiled. 

Only a minute later the five of them were about to be beside the other group. Michael spoke again, quietly so only Jeremy could hear him. “Maybe it can change what happened.”

Jeremy smiled at his friend and Michael smiled back before they stepped onto the grass and into their new lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done! Onto Loving Mystery now :) 
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this short little 'filler' story about the other 9 character! I enjoyed writing them.


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